Controlling device for railway-signals and the like.



, W. REID. GONTROLLING DEVIGE FOB. RAILWAY SIGNALS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1911. i

' Patented May 28, 1912.

i i 0712p WIIWBSSES: 226444 M COLUMBILPLANDORQPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIL I M REID, or CAULFIELL, vIcToRIA, AUSTRALIA.

CONTROLLINGIDEVIGEFOR RAILWAY-SIGNALS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM REID, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, residing at Caulfield, in the State of Victoria,Commonwealth of Australia,

. have inventeda new and useful Improved Controlling Device forRailway-Signals and the Like, of which the following is a specification.This invention relates to an improved controlling device for railwaysignals and the like and refers more especially to a mechanicallycontrolled device by which certain semaphoreisignals may be controlledfrom two separate stations.

This invention is capable of many different modifications injuse, suchas for example in such installations in which two semaphores arearranged upon the same post, each being operated from a different sourceand in which the operation of one is controlled by the other, or whereone sema- 1 phore is controlled by two separate levers operated fromdifferent sources.

The object of this invention is to provide I a'controlling apparatus ofsimple and cheap construction, whichmay be easily affixed to the signalposts themselves and connected to the ordinary mechanism as at presentin use, andproviding the control above referred to. I accomplish thisobject by providing a controlling apparatus which consists of aswinging'pendulum lever having a shouldered recess that engage's an armconnected to one operating rod, the said swinging lever engaging at itslower-end a 7 slot or recess upon a hinged trigger which is operated bya rod, connected to the other lever. 40.

In order that my invention may be the better understood I will nowproceed to dependulum lever B which is suitably enthe shouldered recessB of the swinging pendulum lever'B. The rod E connects the lever C withan operating weighted lever F. The swinging pendulum lever B is providedwith a roller B at its lower end, which engages a recess G upon theunder side of a weightedtriggereG yvhich is pivoted upon a lug A of thecasing A. 'This pivoted trigger G is operated by a rod H which isconnected as hereinafter described.

It will be seen thatas long as the tripping trigger G is in the positionshown in Fig. 1, the swinging pendulum lever B securely'locks the end ofthelever C, the re-. cess B acting as' afulcrum for the same,

allowing the'rod D to operate the sema Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed May 11, 1911. Serial No. 626,608.

the operation 'of the rod E is ineffective so far as manipulating thesemaphore is concerned. I

When the'controller is applied to a signal posthaving one semaphore, theconnection is as shown-in Figs. 1 and'2. In this case the rod I-Ioperating the trigger G is connected to a second weighted lever J, whichis connected by a wire J to another signal box. When the two levers Fand J are in the horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 that is to say,when tension is applied to their respective wires F and J the trigger Gis in its downward position and the swinging pendulum B locksthe innerend of the lever C within its recess B. Consequently the operation ofthe lever F as actuated by the wire F is such that the semaphore cannotbe operated until the lever J through the rod H releases the trigger Ginto the position shown in Fig. 1.

When the lever J is released as shown in Fig. 2 it will be seen that therod H raises the trigger G and allows the swinging pendulum lever B tomove across thereby releasing the inner end of the rod C from theshouldered recess B so that the lever F is operated through the wire Fthe lever C (not now being fulcrumed at its inner end) the manipulationof the semaphore through the rod D is ineffective. It will be seentherefore that the semaphore cannot be manipulated until the lever J hasbeen operated from its respective signal box while furthermore byreleasing the tension upon the wire F the semaphore connected to the rodD may move back into the danger position by its counterweight,irrespective of the operation of the lever J.

When the controller is adapted for use with a two-semaphore signal postthe connection is as shown in Figs. 3 and at. In this case the uppersemaphore D which controls the track is connected by means of the rod Ddirectly to the operating lever F, which is connected by a wire F to onesignal box. The other semaphore M is connected by means of the rod M tothe lever C which projects into the controller casing A the internalarrangements of which are the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To thislever C is pivoted a connecting rod E which leads to the other weightedlever J which is connected by a wire J to another signal box. The rod Hwhich operates the trigger G within the controller A is connected to theweighted lever F upon the side opposite to its weight that is to sayupon the same side as the operating wire F. The operation of this signalpost and controller is such that the upper controlling signal 1) isoperated directly by the lever F as pulled by the wire F from the signalbox while at the same time the lever H is withdrawn from the trigger Gby which the lower end of the swinging pendulum lever B is lockedcorrespondingly locking the inner end of the lever C within theshouldered recess B, so that the operation of the weighted lever J asmanipulated from its signal box through the wire J imparts movementthrough the rod E to the lever C which being tulcrumed at its inner endwithin the shouldered recess B moves the semaphore h into the 01 1"position as shown in Fig. 4-. It will be seen therefore that thesemaphore M can only be operated after the semaphore D while at the sametime unless the semaphore D is pulled into the ofi' position, it isimpossible to operate the semaphore M as any external tension placedupon the wire J would not operate the semaphore M.

The swinging pendulum lever B is also provided with a lock P, whichprojects through a slot in the casing A, having a hole P at its outerend by which the same may be locked at any time by means of a padlock orother convenient locking device.

I claim 1. A cont-rolling device for railway-signals and the like,comprising a casing, a swinging pendulum-lever within said casing, saidlever having a shouldered recess, a lever engaging said recess, asemaphore, a rod connecting the lever with said semaphore, a weightedoperating lever, a rod connecting the operating lever with *thesemaphore operating lever at or about its center, a trigger engaging thelower end of the pendulum-lever, and having a recess, a rod engagingsaid trigger, and a weighted auxiliary lever for actuating saidtriggerrod.

2. In a controlling device for railway-signals and the like, thecombination of a casing, a swinging pendulum-lever within said casing,said lever having a shouldered recess, a lever projecting through a slotin the casing, a semaphore, a rod connecting the outer end of the leverwith the semaphore, a weighted operating lever, a rod connecting thelever with the operating lever, a trigger having a recess engaging thelower end of the pendulum-lever, a rod operating said trigger, and meansfor actuating said trigger rod.

3. In a controlling device for railway-- signals and the like, thecombination of a casing, a swinging pendulum-lever in said casing havinga shouldered recess, a lever engaging said recess, a semaphore, a rodconnecting the outer end of said lever with the semaphore, a weightedoperating lever, a rod connecting the semaphore-operating lever with thesaid weighted lever, a trigger having a recess engaging the lower end ofthe pendulum-lever, a rod acting upon said trigger and an independentlyoperated weighted lever actuating said trigger-rod.

4. In a controlling device for railwaysignals and the like, thecombination of a casing, a swinging pendulum-lever in said casing, saidlever being provided with a shouldered recess, a lever fulcrumed at itsinner end in said shouldered recess, a semaphore, a rod pivoted at itslower end with said lever and at its upper end with the semaphore, atrigger having a recess engaging the lower end of the pendulumlever, arod for operating the trigger, and means for locking the pendulum-leverto the casing.

5. In a controlling device for railwaysignals and the like, thecombination of a casing, a swinging pendulum-lever in said casing, saidlever having a shouldered recess, a lever fulcrumed at its inner end insaid shouldered recess, a semaphore, an auxiliary semaphore, twoweighted operating levers fulcrumed below said casing, a rod connectingthe casing-lever with the auxiliary semaphore, a second rod connectingthe second lever with the lower operating lever, a rod connecting thefirstor mainsemaphore with the upper operating-lever,

a trigger in sald casing provided with a of its pivot-connection withthe rod leading 10 to the main-semaphore.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM REID.

Witnesses: 7

WM. A. HACK, OYRiL WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

